1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of protective devices for human hands and, more specifically, to a shield protecting a human hand against certain types of compressive and shear forces.
2. Description of Related Art
A human hand requires protection against compressive and shear forces generated by narrow objects in a variety of professional and leisure environments. To mention just a few examples, in the dry-cleaning industry, operators carry multiple clothes hangers with hooks resting across the first web spaces of their hands or across their fingers while they move garments from one workstation to another, or during delivery of the garments. In the retail industry, store clerks carry multiple clothes hangers with hooks resting across the first web spaces of their hands or across their fingers when they move garments between racks, to and from dressing rooms, or to and from warehouses. The customers of dry cleaning or retail establishments also carry garments to their cars by holding the hooks of the clothes hangers across the first web spaces of their hands or against their fingers, or carry shopping bags with the straps resting across their fingers. In the construction industry, workers pull or slide objects such as ropes across the first web spaces of their hands.
A number of injuries derive from failing to protect the hand from the compressive and shear forces generated by narrow objects. These injuries range from strain on the skin and on the underlying muscles of the hand to more serious illnesses such as carpal tunnel, trigger thumb and finger, soft tissue injuries of the intrinsic muscles, injuries to the digital nerves, various types of skin damage, various types of wrists injuries, and arthritis.
Similarly, mechanical objects often require protection from the mechanical and shear forces generated by narrow objects in a static or dynamic environment. For instance, grab bars in the passenger compartment of a vehicle need protection against the wear and tear caused by hooks of clothes hangers attached to such grab bars.
Therefore, there is a need for an appropriately designed hand shield to protect the users from the above injuries. At the same time, there is a need for a product that may be employed not only as a hand shield, but also for shielding objects other than a human hand, for instance, for protecting mechanical parts from damage.